Big tech companies now keen to work with Meta's smart glasses partner
The success of Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses is attracting the attention of major tech companies. They now want to work with Meta's partner, EssilorLuxottica.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are the result of a partnership between Meta and EssilorLuxottica, the Italian eyewear manufacturer that owns Ray-Ban, Oakley and many other brands.
Rocco Basilico, head of EssilorLuxottica's wearables business, said in an interview with The Information that the company was approached by some big tech companies interested in developing smart glasses. EssilorLuxottica has been talking to the companies, but the only ongoing partnership with big tech is the relationship with Meta, according to Basilico.
The two companies complement each other in their areas of expertise: EssilorLuxottica is responsible for the design, manufacturing, distribution, and prescription lenses, while Meta develops the smart technology.
A partnership with great potential
The partnership could prove to be a stroke of genius in the years to come because EssilorLuxottica understands something that technology companies often do not: Fashion. If Meta's smart glasses looked nerdy, no one would want to wear them in public, despite the great features.
The partnership was initiated by Rocco Basilico, who sent a cold email to Mark Zuckerberg in 2018 proposing a collaboration. The article is worth a read, as it provides interesting background on how the partnership came about.
Seeing glasses as the ideal form factor for AI, Meta implemented its multimodal Meta AI in Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. Demand for the wearable has reportedly surprised Meta and EssilorLuxottica, requiring them to increase production. Meta has also initiated a restructuring of its Reality Labs to optimize the development of its wearables business, among other reasons.
According to a leaked roadmap, a third generation of smart glasses will hit the market in 2025, with a simple viewfinder display and a wristband or smartwatch for control.
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